The turkey is basically synonymous with Thanksgiving at this point, which carries some tragic irony, as we mostly think of it in terms of food. But like any larger family gathering, there is always the struggle of keeping everyone civil and nice long enough to give thanks.

A woman shared the tragic tale of a ruined Thanksgiving dinner after her daughter’s boyfriend stole the turkey. A year later, she shared an update to the whole story that was unfortunately just as sad. Netizens did their best to show support and leave some kind words for OP who had to deal with a downright horrible family gathering.

Family Thanksgiving dinner can sometimes push people to the edge of sanity

Image credits:  Pro Church Media (not the actual photo)

But one woman had a story to top them all when her daughter’s boyfriend literally stole the turkey

Image credits: Michael Discenza (not the actual photo)

Image credits: krakenimages (not the actual photo)

Image credits: Ashim D’Silva (not the actual photo)

Image credits: Fikri Rasyid (not the actual photo)

Image credits: Kelli McClintock (not the actual photo)

Image credits: Stolenturkey2022

Thanksgiving dinner and turkey almost seem inseparable

Image credits: cottonbro studio (not the actual photo)

Turkey has been, is, and will likely remain the star of any Thanksgiving dinner table. The bird is so closely associated with this North American tradition, that the term “Turkey Day” can be used as a substitute. US Statesman Alexander Hamilton once stated that “no citizen of the United States should refrain from turkey on Thanksgiving Day,” a belief that many Americans have deeply taken to heart.

Indeed, there is no other holiday so celebrated that the actual president of the United States will, every single year, pardon a turkey. The fact that the turkey is entirely innocent is beyond the point. Indeed, North Americans are so obsessed with turkey on Thanksgiving that often enough, they struggle to separate it from other dishes. For example, instead of preparing and eating a chicken and/or duck separately, some families elect to create a turducken, which is basically a bird, within a bird, within another bird.

People mess up their turkey every year, the breach of trust was the main tragedy

This is all to say that a Thanksgiving table without a turkey might definitely seem wrong for most folks. Some readers might look at OP’s story and ask why it was so vital, given that Thanksgiving tends to produce enough food for weeks of leftovers. It’s the centerpiece of the table, and by and large, the only time of year when people will actually make the effort to roast and prepare the giant bird.

Of course, the actual tragedy is the breaking of trust and the fact that OP’s daughter seems to be going along with this young man’s frankly criminal ideas. A child breaking your trust is always very, very hard since the parent is often the first person they ever trusted. Even worse, “Mary” does not seem to understand that this fellow is, by and large, bad news. As OP shared in a later update (which can be found below) not much had improved even a year later.

Chris exhibited some indicators of being antisocial

Image credits: Ion Fet (not the actual photo)

While we don’t have all the evidence, it would appear that “Chris” exhibits many signs of truly antisocial behavior. Theft is a pretty clear one, exacerbated by the fact that he would later taunt other family members about it. However, stealing an entire turkey out of the oven is almost impressive, as it’s not exactly a small dish. It’s a multi-pound bird that is no doubt very hot to the touch, difficult to carry, and harder to maneuver.

Ultimately, while we don’t have any concrete evidence for his later actions, “Chris” seems to have a bone to pick with the world and has repeatedly gone out of his way to make someone’s day worse. If we wanted food, there were multiple dishes he could have no doubt stolen, instead, he made an effort to take the hardest to transport items just to ruin the event for everyone else.

OP answered a few reader questions

People were shocked at the story of a Thanksgiving turkey heist

Almost a year later to the day, OP shared an update

Image credits: Stolenturkey2022

People hoped Chris would finally get what is coming to him

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